


The First Five Times and the One That Counted

by magicbubblepipe



Series: Teenage Dream [1]
Category: Rhett & Link
Genre: First Kiss, High School, M/M, Mutual Pining, Teenagers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-14
Updated: 2017-06-14
Packaged: 2018-11-13 21:35:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,721
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11193906
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/magicbubblepipe/pseuds/magicbubblepipe
Summary: A story about first kisses in a five plus one style.





	The First Five Times and the One That Counted

**Author's Note:**

> Just dipping my toes into the Rhink pool.

The first time was in the third grade. It happened on an uncomfortably warm spring day on the Buies Creek recreational soccer field. The glaring sun overhead did nothing to make their task easier, which was this: kick the soccer ball into the unmanned goal. The only issue was that the soccer field was slanted to such a strong degree that the ball would roll off downhill no matter how carefully you aimed. The only way to get the ball in the goal was to have a very powerful kick, which was no problem for Rhett, who already towered over all of his teammates, and no problem for the behemoth of a ten year old, John Carson. 

Link, however, was one of the smallest players on the team. Rhett could feel him fidgeting beside him, fiddling with the hem of his powder blue jersey. They stood, waiting their turn for a go at the ball. John Carson, who was just as tall as Rhett and three times as wide, lumbered up to the ball and delivered a mighty kick, his tree trunk legs easily hurling the ball into the goal hard enough that it bounced off the back of the net. The boy hooted in noisy celebration and strutted off to his little group of cronies. 

Rhett was up next. Tossing a quick glance over his shoulder, he could see Link giving him a reassuring smile, though he was still wringing his hands in nervousness. Rhett smiled back, took a deep breath and gave the ball a solid whack. It sailed through the air and landed right in the goal as expected. He patted Link on the back as they traded places, Rhett taking his place, standing with the group of kids who had already gone, and the smaller boy stepped up to the ball. The look on Link’s face would be better suited to someone on death row. 

Link stood, as if bracing himself for the coming humiliation and Rhett waited with his fingers secretly crossed. Just a few feet from Rhett stood John Carson and he could already hear the boy snickering among his group of friends. Rhett gritted his teeth against his growing anger, keeping his gaze fixed stubbornly on Link. Link, who now was drawing back his leg and swinging it forward and...nothing. He missed the ball completely on the first try and the resulting laughter from the others was enough to make his next shaky kick go flying off diagonally down the slope. 

His face flushed, Link turned around and nearly ran back to Rhett’s side. Rhett was in the process of turning to comfort his friend when he caught the sound of John Carson’s snorting laughter. His head spun around just in time to see John in the middle of a full-on Link impression, miming missing the ball with exaggerated movements to make his friends laugh. If you asked Rhett today what he was thinking in that moment, he would say that he wasn’t. 

He barely registered his feet moving, propelling him forward, but John’s shocked expression the moment before Rhett’s fist collided with his stomach would stay with him forever. The boy doubled over in whoosh of air, wrapping his arms around his wounded gut. Rhett stood, panting, waiting for a fight. But to his surprise, John Carson simply backed away from him and sat down. His gathering of followers were all giggling, clearly pleased to see the bully taken down a notch. Without saying a word, Rhett turned on his heel and walked back to sit down next to an astonished Link. 

“I can’t believe you punched him!” Link enthused, his smile growing larger by the second. 

Rhett shrugged, feeling his anger ebb in the light of Link’s happiness. “He deserved it.” 

Link’s eyes shone with affection, “Thanks, Rhett. You didn’t have to.” 

Feeling the flush creeping up his neck, Rhett said faux casually, “I wanted to. Someone’s gotta look out for you, right?” 

Rhett had no idea it was coming and would even come to wonder if it really happened; it was just the tiniest touch. A swift movement and Link’s lips were pressed feather-light against his cheek. Just as quickly, they were gone like the beat of butterfly wings. Rhett sat blinking for a moment, his mouth falling open on a little gasp. Unable to summon any words, he simply draped an arm over Link’s shoulder and allowed the boy to lean against him. 

Soon enough, all of the kids had had their turn and the coach was calling a huddle. Rhett couldn’t help but look at Link while they were all circled up together. Every time Link caught him staring he just smiled; the skin of Rhett’s cheek seemed to still be buzzing with his touch. 

 

...

Rhett and Link attended their first boy/girl party when they were twelve years old. Well, Rhett had just turned thirteen in October so he was  _ technically _ a teen. He never failed to point this out to Link at any given opportunity. 

Their mutual friend Ben was allowed to have his first real teenager party and he invited almost every kid in their class, even a few older girls. Rhett had talked big about flirting with these girls, insisting that his height would make him appear to be their age. But when it came down to it, he couldn’t muster the courage to speak to any of them. Link hadn’t expected any different. The two of them mostly stuck together, spending most of their time on the couch in Ben’s basement. 

There was music playing and some kids made a pathetic effort and dancing. There was a punch bowl and an array of snacks laid out on the folding table at the end of the room. Balloons hovered around the ceiling, except for the ones being abused for their helium by a group of rowdy boys in the corner. Every now and then Ben’s mother would come down to check on them but mostly the children were unsupervised, giving them the intoxicating illusion of being in control. 

Ben’s voice suddenly rang out over the din of the party and the others slowly grew quiet enough for the birthday boy to speak. 

Holding an empty coke bottle aloft he announced, “We’re gonna play spin the bottle!” 

Rhett and Link exchanged uncertain looks. Rhett was the first to recover his mask of bravado, immediately smirking and standing up to join the loose circle assembling itself in the center of the room. Not to be outdone, Link followed suit, annoyed when he was jostled into a spot adjacent and not next to his friend. He met Rhett’s eyes like he had in the soccer huddle and the other boy responded with a grin and a silly wiggle of his eyebrows. Link couldn’t help but smile back. 

Ben took his place at the head of the circle and placed the bottle square in the middle. “Since it’s my birthday, I get to go first,” he said, giving the bottle a hard spin. 

Everyone’s gaze was glued to the bottle as it began to slow. When it finally came to a stop, it was pointed directly at Heather. She rolled her eyes in distaste but she was no chicken. She kneeled up at met Ben in the center of the circle and they exchanged a chaste kiss to a chorus of “oooh”s. 

They decided to move in a clockwise direction, the boy next to Rhett getting to kiss Jennifer, the girl Rhett had hoped to get. After their kiss, it was Rhett’s turn. His stomach fluttered with nerves but he didn’t let it show. He gave the bottle a spin, his eyes glued to every rotation as it began to slow. It didn’t land on Jennifer but it did land on Sarah, one of the older girls. She looked mature, with her teased brown hair and actual makeup on her eyelids. The denim jacket she wore had lots of patches and pins from concerts. Rhett was sure she must be at least fourteen, if not fifteen. 

With mock confidence, Rhett kneeled up, meeting the girl halfway. The contact was brief, almost over before it started and he sat back down in a sort of daze. He was affected by how much he  _ wasn’t _ feeling. He thought a first kiss was supposed to be some kind of magical experience. But maybe kissing for a game doesn’t really count. He watched passively as few more kids took their turns, eyes focused mainly on the spinning of the bottle. He had lost track of whose turn it was when the bottle stopped, pointing directly at Rhett. 

He followed the bottle straight up into the face of his best friend. Link sat frozen, with a dumbstruck expression that would be funny under any other circumstance. As it was, Rhett could feel his heart start to pound. He swallowed, looking around at the others. The ring of kids were all staring at them expectantly. 

Rhett let out an uneasy laugh. “Very funny. Go ahead and spin it again, Link.” 

“Who died and made you king?” Ben asked in mock-affront. “It’s my party and I say everybody gets one spin. Those are the rules.” 

“Yeah, I didn’t get to go again when it landed on Ben!” said a girl named Nancy, her nose scrunched up in disgust. 

“Oh that’s real nice,” Ben grumped back. “Who’d wanna kiss you anyway?” 

She stuck her tongue out at him. Everyone figured they were really crazy about each other. 

Rhett’s gaze drifted back to Link, who was a little red the cheeks but had an expression of such fierce determination that it made Rhett a bit nervous. Link planted both hands on the floor, bringing himself forward, face to face with Rhett. All he’d have to do is lean in… 

“Kiss, kiss, kiss, kiss!” the chant started with Ben and then spread out over the room, rising in volume until Rhett resolved himself. 

Well, he resolved himself at the same time as Link and so they collided with much more force than was necessary, their teeth clacking together in the process. They jumped apart from one another like an electric jolt, faces burning as the other kids squealed and laughed. Link sat back down, his fingers touching his mouth almost unconsciously. Rhett’s eyes were drawn to them, his lips had been so soft. It occurred to Rhett that he had felt the slick inner skin of Link’s bottom lip from their accidental collision. That’s like...second base, isn’t it? He shivered. 

He was forced to exchange a few more kisses with others before the game was over but he couldn’t take his mind off of Link. He couldn’t shake the feeling that their kiss was somehow different from all the others. It made him _ feel _ something. 

 

… 

 

It was toward the end of summer after eighth grade and Link had just turned fourteen years old, finally caught up with Rhett until October. In just a little over a month, they’d be high school freshmen. But for right now, they could still be children, skipping rocks in the Cape Fear river. 

They were in their favorite spot, the flow of the river slow and lazy in the late afternoon sun. Rhett flicked his wrist, sending his rock zinging through the air and hopping across the surface of the river, three, four, five times. He crowed, pumping his fists victoriously. 

“Alright Neal,” he said, clapping his friend on the shoulder. “Five is the number to beat!” 

“Please,” Link smirked, “I can beat you with my eyes closed.” 

“Prove it then,” Rhett replied, folding his arms like thought he had him beat. 

Of course, Link took the bait hook, line, and sinker. He gave the smooth rock in his hand a little toss, bouncing it in his palm. He made a big show of closing his eyes before he lined up his shot and let the rock go free on a dramatic flourish that made Rhett laugh. The rock hit the water in a comedic ‘plop’ and Rhett doubled over himself, wheezing. Link couldn’t resist the scrunched up look of glee on Rhett’s face and soon joined him in his hysterics. 

“Okay, seriously,” Link said, sobering up. “Lemme try again for real.” He carefully chose another stone from the river bed and assumed his previous position, now with his eyes open. 

He took a deep breath, eyes focused on the rippling water. As soon as the rock left his hand, he knew it was going to be a magical shot. Sure enough, it skipped four, five, and then six times, before disappearing beneath the surface. He blinked in shock and then cheered, throwing his arms up in the air. Rhett was hollering in amazement, and he scooped Link up in his arms effortlessly, slinging him around in a joyous circle. 

Link’s laughter rang out as he grasped Rhett around the shoulders, fingers pressed to the sun-pink skin around the fabric of his tank top. He felt it the moment something went wrong. Rhett’s foot caught a loose stone and tripped him up. He pulled Link in tight to his body, trying to take the inevitable fall onto his own back, which worked except for the arm caught between his shoulder and the ground. 

He was immediately apologetic, helping Link sit up. Link just laughed helplessly, tears forming in his bright blue eyes. Rhett was unsure if the tears were from hilarity or pain but either way, he felt terrible. 

“Are you hurt bad?” he asked. He could feel a raw scrape across the back of his own shoulder blade but he was otherwise unharmed. 

Link lifted up his arm and showed him the bloody raspberry on his elbow. “It smarts, but I’ll live,” Link said, wincing as he tried to straighten out his arm. 

Seeing Link’s blood always gave Rhett an uncomfortable feeling; akin to feeling a boat shift suddenly under his feet. He reached out gentle fingers and brushed off a little bit of rock that stuck in the wound. 

“Gosh, man, I’m sorry.” 

“Don’t worry about it, bo. My mom can fix this up, no problem.” He gave Rhett such a reassuring smile that he couldn’t help but smile back. 

“C’mon, I’ll walk home with ya.” 

They set out through the woods, back to the trail they had come from. It was sundown by the time they made it to Link’s place. From the street, the whole house was dark. Link led the way through the back door and into the kitchen. He was just about to call for his mom when he saw the legal pad on the table. His mom’s loopy handwriting apologized for working late but that there was dinner in the fridge. 

“She’s picking up some extra hours,” Link said, shrugging as if it didn’t matter. It didn’t fool Rhett and he hadn’t expected it to. 

“That’s alright. We’re high school students, dude; we can take care of this ourselves.” Rhett moved past him and opened up the rightmost bottom cabinet in the kitchen. The good thing about having a nurse for a mother was the large and well stocked first aid kit she kept. 

“Have a seat,” he gestured to the kitchen table, “Let Dr. Rhett fix you up.” 

Link snickered, flicking on the overhead light before he sat down. When Rhett came forward with the antiseptic, he bravely offered his elbow, angling the injury up toward the light. Rhett gently held him in place with one hand and cleaned the blood away with the other, carefully disinfecting the scrape. Once the blood was gone, the wound itself wasn’t all that bad, meaning it wouldn’t need to be sutured. That much was a relief at least. Unable to find a band-aid to fit the weird dimensions of the area, Rhett placed a square of gauze over the cut and taped it down. 

And then he did something he didn’t think about and wouldn’t be able to explain. He bent down and kissed it. It surprised him as much as it had Link. He waited for Link to laugh and tease him for being gross but he didn’t. His expression of shock slowly morphed into a sort of melting sweetness that made Rhett’s knees feel like water. 

“Thanks Rhett.” 

Rhett’s pulse was fluttering fast, suffusing his face with warmth. “Anytime.” 

They ended up heating up dinner together and eating in front of the television. When Link dozed off on him in the middle of Family Feud reruns, Rhett sat still and let him sleep. He had enough to think about anyway. 

 

… 

 

It was late September; Rhett and Link were sixteen years old. The sun was hot but the breeze was cool as they tromped through the high grass of the cow pasture. For years, this place had been their favorite spot to hang out. After they tired of tormenting the poor cows, they would go to their rocks; the two large stones that they had claimed as their own. It was a rule set up between them that whoever sat on the bigger rock had the right to speak. 

On this particular day, the cows had ventured off to the far side of the pasture and neither boy cared enough to go chase them down. Instead, they went directly to their rocks, dropping off their backpacks and gym bags before settling into place. A bit of wordless communication passed between them in which Rhett requested the big rock and Link consented. There were a lot of things on his mind lately. His seventeenth birthday was only a month away and he was getting more serious about his future. Not to mention, his dad was really cracking down hard on his basketball practice. He had three hours of it to look forward to when he got home that night. 

Link sat on the smaller rock, gazing up at his friend. He was twisting a long blade of grass in his hands, heedless of the way it frayed apart between his fingers. Rhett took a deep breath before he set in. 

“Link, I’ve been thinking a lot.” 

“Careful, you might hurt something,” Link smirked back at him, blue eyes glinting with mischief. 

“Hah. I’m being serious, brother.” 

Something in his voice caught Link’s attention. His fingers stopped fiddling and he met Rhett’s earnest stare. “Go on, man. You’ve got the rock.” 

“Y’know, you hear all the time how people have these big dreams and then they just end up being...like a construction worker or office stiff or something. Not that those are bad things; I mean, I’m sure some people are happy that way. But you and I, we’ve got something special, Link. I really believe that.” 

Link lit up with a smile, “I think so too.” 

Gosh, he was hard to look at sometimes. 

“So, what I’m saying is, I don’t want us to ever forget that. I think we should make, like, a commitment or something.” Rhett winced at how that came out but there was no other way to say it. 

Link, however, seemed unwavering in his excitement. “Okay, what should we do? Should we pinky swear?” 

An idea dawned on Rhett and he reached for his backpack, rummaging around until he located a spiral notebook. He carefully tore a page out along the perforated edge. “Let’s swear an oath.” 

“It should be a blood oath!” Link exclaimed. 

“Huh?” 

“We make the oath and then bleed on it, man. We’ll be blood brothers!” 

Rhett shrugged, smiling. He’d pretty much agree to do anything that got Link this hyped up. Link helpfully supplied him with a pen from his pocket and Rhett set about writing out the oath. 

Link added his critiques along the way and eventually they ended up with: 

‘Rhett James McLaughlin and Charles Lincoln Neal III hereby swear to do something big together.’ 

Rhett signed it and then Link. 

“Oh dang,” Rhett said suddenly, “What are we gonna use to cut ourselves?” 

Link got down from his rock and started scanning the ground nearby, hoping to find a sharp rock or arrowhead or… “Ah-ha!” He spotted it glinting in the grass; just a shard of greenish glass from a coke bottle or beer. 

He sat back down, this time climbing onto the big rock to sit next to Rhett. The other boy watched closely as Link drew the sharp edge of the glass across the width of his palm. He held his breath as blood welled up and dripped down the side of his hand. Knowing he was squeamish, Rhett put a bracing arm around his friend’s back. 

“You gonna faint?” 

Link still looked a little pale but he shook his head. “Nah. It’s your turn.” He passed the glass over to Rhett. 

Wondering to himself how Link always managed to talk him into this nonsense, he obediently sliced his own palm. He hissed at the jagged stab of pain but tried not to let it show. No way he was gonna let Link look tougher than him. He laid the notebook paper out on his lap and pressed the wound right below his signature; Link did the same. When they were finished, he held out his bleeding hand to Link and the other boy clasped it tight, pressing their injured skin together. 

Under the pain there was a rush of excitement, the same low thrum of electricity that came from touching Link. He knew in that moment that something monumental had occurred between them. He wanted to express how much it meant to him, this commitment to a shared future of mythical proportions. 

“I love you, Link,” he said. He brought the back of Link’s hand to his mouth, pressing his lips gently to the smooth skin. 

Link ducked his head, uncharacteristically bashful. He looked up at Rhett slowly, bottom lip caught between his teeth; his cheeks were definitely pink. Rhett held his breath, getting dizzy waiting for a response. With sudden resolve, Link brought Rhett’s hand up to his mouth, returning the gentle kiss. 

“I love you too.” 

… 

 

Rhett could pinpoint the exact moment that everything starting going downhill. 

“Let’s go to the river.” That’s what Link had said after school that day. It was the first warm day of February but it was February nonetheless. As in, technically winter. Rhett had a feeling deep down that this was a bad idea but Link had suggested it in such a way that all he could do was smile and nod. 

They left Link’s truck parked under a tree near a part of the river they had never explored. They stripped off their shirts and draped them over a low tree branch. Link trotted off down to the edge of the river, looking down into the dark rippling water. Rhett followed close behind and came to a halt as Link stepped into the water. One moment he was there and the next moment, he had disappeared under the surface. 

Rhett’s heart froze in his chest. “LINK!” He didn’t wait for an answer; he jumped straight into the water, immediately yelping in shock. He wasn’t aware of temperature at first; he was more aware of the knives of pain searing into his muscles, causing them to seize. Gasping, he struggled to keep above water, moving forward in an agonized doggy paddle. Link suddenly surfaced in front of him, dark hair soaked and plastered to his head but blessedly alive. 

Rhett couldn’t find the air in his lungs to make any sounds. His brain felt paralyzed, its only thought being,  _ move, move, move _ . Link started frantically kicking toward the opposite shore and Rhett felt tethered to him like a tugboat. He followed, using his height to touch his toes to the bottom and push his way forward against the surprisingly strong current. He felt his own rush of relief when Link finally reached the otherside. He clawed his way up the muddy embankment and collapsed, his feet barely outside of the water. 

Rhett forced himself forward, finding more and more ground as it sloped toward the shore. He used the last of his strength to haul himself out of the river, his trembling limbs no longer willing to move. He laid curled on his side, wide-eyed and shuddering. Link was on his side across from Rhett, staring blankly, left cheek pressed into the mud. He was shockingly pale, his lips tinged with blue. The only evidence of life in him was his rapid, shallow breathing. 

Shaking violently, Rhett reached out one arm, muscles burning as if they wanted to rip. He touched his fingers to the pinky of Link’s right hand. Link made a slight sound, twitching his finger in response. They laid there, staring at one another until their bodies warmed enough to move. With an unspoken agreement, they slowly lifted themselves and crawled further onto land, collapsing again in the grass. This time, Link burrowed against him, naked chest pressed right up against Rhett’s. 

Rhett immediately drew the other boy in closer, wrapping his arms tightly around his shivering form. Link’s fingertips felt like ice cubes where they were gripping his back. The heat between their chests was slowly, slowly starting to build, warming up their core temperatures to a bearable degree of frigidness. Finally feeling like he could move, Rhett’s hands soothed up and down Link’s back and sides, coaxing grateful noises from his friend who pushed his freezing nose into the crook of Rhett’s neck. 

Rhett shivered at the feeling of Link’s warm breath puffing out against his neck, his heart beating strongly against his own. He thought for a moment that he was imagining the press of Link’s lips at the notch of his throat. But then he distinctly felt them again right over his pulse. Link seemed to pay special attention to the thrum of life through that strong artery and Rhett could feel its pace speeding up. Link’s fingers, less frozen than before, started to trail up and down the length of Rhett’s spine, feeling that long muscle that runs along either side. 

“Link,” he whispered. It was a husk of a sound. He hadn’t spoken in ages. 

Link tipped his head up and Rhett leaned back just enough to meet his friend’s half-lidded gaze. His face was now flushed with rushing blood, pinking up his nose and lips, the tops of his ears. His eyes stood out strongly, luminescent and dazed. The image of Link slipping under the water kept flashing through Rhett’s mind, that heart stopping moment when he had imagined the worst. He was squeezing Link against him now, feeling his breath and his heartbeat, safe in Rhett’s arms. 

He never made the conscious decision to kiss Link but that didn’t stop him from doing it. He smothered the little gasp the other boy made as he pressed up into the kiss, as if he had been waiting for it the whole time. Link threw a leg up over Rhett’s hip, bringing their lower bodies into complete contact. Rhett let out a soft groan, his whole body now buzzing and shockingly warm. 

A rustling sound startled the two of them apart, Link sitting up suddenly and staring off into the trees. 

“Hello?” Link called. The rustling sounded again. “I think I saw something.” He got to his feet and crept over to the edge of the little forest. 

With a sigh, Rhett sat up and followed after him, his feet squelching uncomfortably. Link was crouching down, studying something on the ground when Rhett approached. 

“Deer tracks,” Link announced excitedly, gesturing to the small cloven marks in the dirt. 

“No way,” Rhett grinned, infected by Link’s enthusiasm. 

“Let’s try and track it!” 

“What are we gonna do if we find it?” Rhett asked, chuckling, “Just tackle it and eat it?” 

Link tossed his head back on a laugh, “I bet I catch it first.” 

“In your dreams, Neal,” Rhett challenged, jogging off into the woods. Link’s footfalls and laughter were following close behind. 

 

… 

 

Link was there the day Rhett’s basketball scholarship arrived in the mail. He followed Rhett into his house, into the kitchen where his mother was stirring a pot at the stove. She turned at the sound of her son’s voice and shrieked at the sight of the letter he waved in his hand. She flew to him and hugged him around the middle. Cole had drifted in from the living room and was trying his best to look not proud. He pulled his little brother into a good natured noogie while Diane made a call to her husband’s work phone. 

Rhett took the phone from his mom and delivered the news himself. Link hung back by the wall and when Rhett met his gaze, he offered a strained smile. He didn’t get the opportunity to ask Link what was wrong because his mom was already inviting him to stay for dinner. 

“That’s okay,” Link said, “I told my mom I’d come home right after school. Thanks anyway.” 

“Link, c’mon, man,” Rhett started, “It’s a special occasion.” 

Link looked strangely pale, “We’ll celebrate tomorrow,” he said, backing up for the kitchen door, “I’ve...I’ve got some homework to catch up on.” 

“Link…” 

“I’ll call you later, Rhett. I gotta go.” 

He nearly ran out the door and a few moments later, Rhett could hear the rumbling engine of Link’s truck. 

 

After dinner and a congratulatory game of Horse with his brother and dad, Rhett came back inside with a towel draped over his neck. 

“Has Link called yet?” he asked his mom, who was just getting comfy in front of the television. 

“Not yet, honey,” she said, her brows creased with concern. “He didn’t seem to be feeling well, earlier, did he? You think he’s okay?” 

“I don’t know,” Rhett said and that was true. He had no idea what was wrong with Link and it was unnerving. “I’m gonna call him myself.” 

Rhett thumped up the stairs to his room and grabbed the long-corded phone from his desk before he dropped down onto the edge of his bed. He keyed in Link’s number, pure muscle memory at this point. 

“Hello?” It was Sue who answered the phone. 

“Hey, it’s Rhett. Is Link home?” 

There was a pause, “No...I thought he was still with you?” 

“He left here a few hours ago,” Rhett said, looking out the window. The sun was already going down. 

“I’m...I’m sure he’ll be home soon,” she tried to sound certain but Rhett could hear the quaver of nerves in her voice, “He knows he’s not supposed to stay out after dark…” 

“Don’t worry, I’ll find him,” Rhett said, his stomach twisting itself into a knot. He couldn’t help the awful images his mind conjured up for him. Maybe Link had been in another stupid wreck. What if his truck was flipped over in a ditch somewhere?

After he hung up the phone, he grabbed his jacket and pounded back down the stairs. He gave his mom a brief summary on his way out the door. Her “Be safe!” barely reached his ears before he was behind the wheel of his Dodge Dynasty. 

He took the familiar route towards Link’s house, his heart pounding the whole time. He kept scanning the sides of the road and the parking lots of every business he passed along the way. No sight of him yet. By the time he reached his friend’s house, he was feeling the beginnings of real panic. Link’s truck was parked there in the driveway. He stopped his car on the side of the road and gripped the steering wheel tight enough to drain the color from his knuckles. 

“Think, think,” he muttered to himself. Where would Link go? He knew the boy better than he knew himself. It would be somewhere secluded, somewhere familiar, where he felt safe. The answer hit him like a sudden punch to the chest and he scrambled out of his car. His long legs carried him toward the treeline behind Link’s house, following the familiar path they’d taken as children. 

Even with the encroaching darkness, it didn’t take Rhett long to find their old tree fort, the one Link’s step-dad had built for them years ago. His internal chant of ‘please, please, please’, was finally rewarded with the sight of the shadowed, bent figure sitting among the low tree branches. The sound of his hurried footsteps alerted Link; Rhett could just make out the startled expression on his face. He had never been such a confusing mixture of relieved and angry in his life. 

“What the hell, man?” Rhett demanded, standing now at the foot of the tree. 

Link had a piece of notebook paper in his hand that he was struggling to fold quickly and hide in his wallet. “What do you mean?” he asked. 

Rhett scaled the tree with practiced ease and settled into his usual spot next to his friend. Up close, he could see the redness of his eyes and immediately felt bad for being angry. 

“You know what I mean,” he said, more gently now, “Why’d you take off like that? Your mom’s worried about you, man.” _ I was worried about you. _

Link shrugged, scratched at his new goatee. “Sorry, it’s just… I don’t know. When you got that letter...it was kind of a shock.” 

Rhett snorted, “Oh, thanks for the vote of confidence, Link.” 

Link bumped him with his shoulder, the corner of his mouth tilting in the ghost of a smirk. “Shut up. You know you deserve it. And I’m happy for you...I am. But…” he cut himself off then and Rhett was gutted at the sight of Link’s lip beginning to tremble. 

“Link…” he tried to turn the other boy to face him but Link turned his head resolutely away. It didn’t matter; Rhett knew him well enough to know he was fighting back tears. 

“Sorry, I’m just being stupid,” Link said, his voice choked. He scrubbed a hand angrily across his face. “I hate that I’m so dang selfish. We should be celebrating.” 

Rhett was confused right up until the moment when it hit him. “Link…” he started again; he felt winded. “You don’t actually think I’m going to  _ accept _ it, do you?” 

Link whipped around to look at him so fast it was almost comical. It would have been if not for the fresh tear tracks on his cheeks. “Huh?” 

Rhett was smiling now. “You idiot,” he said, shaking his head. “You really think I’d leave you to play basketball? Really?” 

“You’re... what?” Link looked flabbergasted, his blue irises nearly glowing in his reddened eyes. 

“Nothing’s changed, Link. It’s really cool that it was offered but I already made up my mind.” 

He blinked owlishly at Rhett. “Basketball is your dream!” 

Rhett rested his hand on Link’s knee, squeezing soothingly. “Basketball is fun but it’s not my dream, Link. We made a commitment, remember?” 

“Of course I remember but I can’t hold you to that. I’m selfish but I’m not that selfish.” 

Rhett huffed out a laugh, meeting his friend’s troubled gaze. He really did look good tonight, the moonlight casting patterns across his face as it shone through the leaves. “I guess I’m just as selfish as you are, then. I’d rather spend four years in a dorm with you, learning civil engineering than play my favorite sport. My dad’ll want to wring my neck but it doesn’t matter. None of it matters.” 

Link grasped the hand that was still on his knee. He stared at Rhett openly; he looked overwhelmed. “You’re crazy, Rhett.” He was finally starting to smile, “You’re crazy and amazing.” 

Rhett shrugged, expression soft as he leaned in, rested his forehead against Link’s. “Yeah, I guess I am crazy. Does that bother you?” 

Link answered him by surging forward, his hand grasping the back of Rhett’s neck to pull him into a hard, claiming kiss. Rhett melted into him, mouth opening readily to devour everything he was willing to give. Link’s tongue swept along the inside of Rhett’s lip and he met it with his own, shivering at this newest intimacy. There wasn’t any going back from this one; no sweeping it under the rug. Rhett tugged Link’s bottom lip, rolling it with his teeth and drawing a little whine from the other boy. There was definitely nothing platonic about this kiss, no pretending he didn’t want Link with the way his body warmed and trembled when Link raked his nails through Rhett’s short hair. 

When they pulled away enough to breathe, Rhett kissed Link’s nose, the corner of his mouth, his stubbled chin. He never wanted this to stop. His eyes opened to meet Link’s heated gaze. There was such an unadulterated joy behind the veil of lust that it couldn’t be contained. A low rumble of a laugh started in Rhett’s chest and soon they were both giggling like little boys. 

He pulled Link into a tight hug and Link clung to him, head nestled perfectly beneath Rhett’s chin like always. If Rhett had been at all uncertain about his decision, this dizzy kind of bliss fizzling through his body would be enough to erase any doubt. He pressed a little kiss into the tousled mess of black hair, drawing a pleased hum from Link which he could feel against his chest. 

“C’mon, Link,” he finally said, giving his back a final stroke before pulling away, “We need to get you back home so your mom can stop panicking.” 

“As much as I’d love to just stay here with you, I know you’re right.” Link sighed. 

Rhett followed him back down to the ground and they set off walking toward Link’s house. It was fully dark now and there was a stiff wind blowing in, whistling through the trees. He noticed Link shiver, edging closer to Rhett. 

“You cold?” he asked. 

Link smiled bashfully, chafing his arms, “Maybe a little.” 

Rhett stretched out his jacket like a bird’s wing, tugging Link in against his side. “I gotcha.” 

“Kinda hard to walk like this,” Link laughed. 

“We’re pretty imaginative guys. I bet we can figure it out.” 

They did manage to make it work, the jacket just big enough that they weren’t tripping over each other’s feet. They walked for a while in silence until Link broke it. 

“How long?” 

Rhett didn’t need to ask but he did anyway. “What do you mean?” 

“How long... have you, y’know. Had  _ feelings _ ?”

Rhett laughed, jiggling the both of them. He didn’t even have to think about it. “Since the first time.” 

Link thought for a moment. “...John Carson?” 

“John Carson.” 

“In that case, I think we oughta send him a fruit basket or something.” 

“What?” 

“Well if he had never bullied me, maybe we wouldn’t be here right now.” 

“Y’know what I think?”

“Hmm?” 

Rhett stopped and took Link by the shoulders, turning him around so he could see his face. If he was gonna do this, he wasn’t going to do it halfway. “I think we’d find our way here no matter what. It’s like...written in the stars.” 

“Pff,” Link flushed, valiantly trying not to be moved. “You’re such a dork.” 

“You love me.” 

Link’s smile was brilliant. “Yeah. I do.” 

Rhett couldn’t resist the urge to kiss him again, feeling that smile against his own lips. 

“So…” Link said, breath tickling Rhett’s cheek. “If I’m not in too much trouble for running off, do you wanna spend the night? There’s still celebrating to be done.” He punctuated this statement with a nip to Rhett’s bottom lip. 

He shuddered at the implication, wrapping Link up tighter in his jacket. “Only if you don’t make me sleep on the floor this time.” 

“Sleep? What makes you think we’re going to sleep?” 

It was Rhett’s turn to blush. “Y’know, I think I’m warm enough now. You can keep the jacket.” 

Link’s laugh rang out through the darkness. “At last! My nefarious plan to get your jacket has worked!” 

Rhett dug his fingers into Link’s sides, making him shriek with laughter and wriggle out of his grasp. He took off running towards his house and of course, Rhett followed. He would always follow. 


End file.
